Comments by "Joe Kelsoe II" (@nsahandler) on "Why do hurricane lanterns look like that?" video.

So! I may have an answer to this "warming the air" thing. I just talked to my grandmother, whose mother had grown up pre-electricity ... and she had, as well! She eventually went to work for TVA in Alabama during their expansion of electrical services to remote regions. It's extremely easy to overlook the value of warm air in a world of air conditioning and good, solid insulation. If you had a lantern burning fuel, a major selling point was that it produced MORE warm-air. More warm air means less fireplaces. My theory is that selling someone brighter light + reliable flame + less soot + warm air + safer from fires == better product. He wanted to make it have all the benefits of a fireplace without any of the downsides of a fireplace.
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